Body bolster center plate assembly



Jan. 21, 1969 M. STARK 3,422,772

BODY BOLSTER CENTER PLATE ASSEMBLY 7 Filed Aug. 25. 1966 Sheet 1 of 2 INVENTOR.

MARVI N 3 TA R K Jan. 21, 1969 r STA K 3,422,772

BODY BOLSTER CENTER PLATE ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 25. 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 INVENTOR.

MARVIN 8 TA RK fill/ ATT'Y United States Patent 8 Claims The present invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to a new and improved center plate assembly for such railway cars.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a center plate construction which is of simple fabrication and of economical manufacture.

It is another object to provide a center plate assembly which is light weight and at the same time of the requisite strength to assume the stresses imposed thereon.

Further objects and features will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a typical cushion underframe of a railway car and showing the center plate assembly embodying the principles of the present invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the center plate assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the center plate assembly; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the center plate assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a cushion underframe of a railway car including a center sill 11 and bolsters 12 extending therefrom. Fixed adjacent to the bolster 12 for mounting the conventional truck bolster thereon is a center plate assembly 13 embodying the principles of the present invention. Slidably disposed within the center sill 11 for lengthwise movement thereof is a sliding sill 20. Limiting this lengthwise movement is a cushion unit (not shown) which is arranged in the conventional manner for interaction between the center sill 12 and the sliding sill 15 to reduce the force of impacts applied at the couplers (not shown).

The underframe comprises the center sill 11 which may be of the substantially Z-section type including a top plate 14, side webs 15, and outwardly flaring side flanges 16 extending integrally from the lower ends of the side webs 15. Fixed to the side webs 15 and to the outwardly flaring flanges 16 is the bolster 12 including a bottom plate 17 extending between a pair of longitudinally spaced side webs 18. Fixed across the upper ends of the side webs 18 is a top plate 19.

The sliding sill may be formed similarly to the center sill 11 including a top plate 41, side Webs 43, from the lower edges of which there extend horizontal flanges 42. The horizontal flanges 42 rest on the center plate assembly 13 as more fully to be explained hereinafter.

The center plate assembly 13 includes a base plate 21 having a plurality of openings 22 along the sides of the plate 21 which are spaced complementary to openings formed in the outwardly flaring flanges 16 of the center sill 11 and receive bolts 23 which are suitably fixed by nuts 24. In this manner the center plate assembly 13 is fixed to the underside of the center sill 11 in alignment wih the bolster 17.

The base plate 21 is provided at the center thereof with a downwardly depending male center plate 25 having an axial opening 26. The center plate 25 is adapted to seat within a complementary female recess or bowl formed in the truck bolster (not shown) in the usual manner. Projecting upwardly from the inner face of the center plate 25 is a boss which is received Within an opening and welded therein. Extending from the upper face of the boss 30 and located axially with respect to 3,422,772 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 the opening 26 is a cylindrical pipe 27 which receives the king pin for connecting the truck to the center plate 25. The pipe 27 is fixed to the boss 30 by means of welding.

To assume the lateral compression loading imposed on the center plate assembly 13 by the shear load imposed on the center sill 11 are longitudinally spaced and transversely extending beam members 28. As shown, the beam members 28 are the equivalent of an H-beam and are of substantially T-shaped cross section including a vertical flange 29 and a horizontal flange 31 spaced from the base plate 21. The horizontal flange 31 is of suflicient width or area to assume the lateral compression loading created by the shear loading transmitted along the length of the center sill 11. The horizontal flange 31 accomplishes this result with a minimum amount of weight and eliminates the extremely cumbersome and heavy structure employed heretofore.

It is to be noted that the vertical leg or web 29 is fixed at its free end to the underside of the base plate 21 by means of welding. Moreover, the leg 29 is disposed between two pairs of the four openings 22 located in the base plate 21. This facilitates the welding of the transverse T-members 28 to the underside of the base plate 21 so that the welding may be accomplished either at a location remote from the center sill as a sub-assembly or when the base plate is assembled on the center sill 11. The Welding is achieved by the semi-automatic type which insures a better joint at the vertical leg and the base plate 21.

Extending across the upper surface of the base plate 21 is a U-shaped channel member 32 having a horizontal Web 33 in which there is formed an opening 34 which receives the pipe 27. The pipe 27 assists as a locating member for the channel 32 which serves to assume the shear stresses imposed on the center plate assembly 13.

The channel 32 is fixed to the upper side of the plate 21 by means of welding extending along the lower edge of the downwardly depending legs 36. It is to be noted that the weld located in this position permits access of the semiautomatic type of welding equipment for the attachment and thereby facilitates the production and the manufacture of the center plate assembly. At the same time the utilization of a channel member reduces the bulk and Weight of the reinforcements used heretofore. Fixed to the upper face of the plate 21 and disposed on opposite sides of the pipe 27 are wear plates 45. The wear plates 45 may be engageable with wear plates (not shown) fixed to the flanges 42 of the sliding sill member.

What is claimed is:

1. A center plate assembly for a cushion underframe railway car, said center plate assembly comprising a base plate, a center plate fixed to said base plate and having a circular opening, an open ended tube mounted on one side of said center plate in co-axial alignment with said circular opening, a pair of longitudinally spaced reinforcing members of substantially T-section having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, said terminal end of said reinforcing members being fixed to the underside of said base plate on opposite sides of said center plate, a channel member including a horizontal web and vertical legs depending from the side edges of said web, means fixing the terminal ends of said downwardly depending legs to said top side of said base plate, and an opening in said horizontal web accommodating said cylindrical tube therein.

2. A center plate assembly for a cushion underframe railway car, said center plate assembly comprising a base plate, a center plate fixed to said base plate and having an axial circular opening, an open ended tube mounted on one side of said center plate in coaxial alignment with said circular opening, a pair of longitudinally spaced reinforcing members each having a vertical leg and a horizontal web extending from one end of said leg, said other end of each of said reinforcing members being fixed to the underside of said base plate on opposite sides of said center plate to support said horizontal web in vertical spaced relationship to said base plate, a channel member including a horizontal web and vertical legs depending from the side edges of said web, means fixing the terminal ends of said downwardly depending legs to said top side of said base plate, an opening in said horizontal web accommodating cylindrical tube therein.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said center plate is formed with a boss, and said base plate is formed with an opening in which said boss is fixed.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said cylindrical tube is fixed to said boss.

5. A center plate assembly for a cushion underframe railway car, said center plate assembly comprising a base plate, an opening in said base plate, a center plate fixed to said base plate and having a circular opening, said center plate having a boss formed on one face of said center plate and disposed in said center plate opening, weld means fixing said boss in said opening, an open ended cylindrical tube fixed to said boss in coaxial alignment with said center plate circular opening, a pair of longitudinally spaced reinforcing members of substantially T-section having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, the terminal ends of said reinforcing members being fixed to the underside of said base plate on opposite sides of said center plate, a channel member including a horizontal web and vertical legs depending from the side edges of said web, means fixing the terminal ends of said downwardly depending legs to said top side of said base plate, an opening in said horizontal web accommodating said cylindrical tube therein.

6. A center plate assembly for the underframe central sill of a railroad car, said center plate assembly comprising:

a fiat base plate adapted for attachment to the lateral underside portions of the central sill and being provided with an aperture,

a center plate having an apertured portion being at tached to the apertured portion of said base plate,

a channel member adapted to be extended longitudinally with the central sill of the car and mounted on top of said flat base,

said channel member having upright side portions attaching with said base plate to define therewith and with its top portion a box section beam to carry the center plate load in torsion and bending longitudinally with the central sill,

iqverted T section beams attached on opposite sides of said center plate to the underside of said base plate and being spaced longitudinally of one another and transverse to said channel member,

each T section defining with said base plate a composite I-beam which receives the center plate load and distributes the load to the central sill.

7. The invention according to claim 6, and

a guide for the center pin received in the apertured portion of the center plate and extendable thereabove,

said channel member having its top apertured in receiving said guide for supporting same.

8. A railroad car having an underframe central sill means and a pair of center plate assemblies at opposite ends of the car sill means, each center plate assembly comprising:

a fiat base plate attached to the lateral underside portions of the central sill and having an apertured portion,

a center plate having an apertured portion being attached to the apertured portion of said base plate,

a channel member extending longitudinally within the central sill means of the car and mounted on top of said flat base,

said channel member having a top portion and upright side portions attaching with said base plate to define therewith and with its top portion a longitudinally extending box section beam to carry the center plate load in bending longitudinally of the central sill and in torsion,

inverted T section beams attached on opposite sides of said center plate to the underside of said base plate and being spaced longitudinally of one another and transverse to the channel member,

each T section defining with said base plate a composite I-beam which receives the center plate load and distributes the load to the central sill.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,800 11/1902 Hornbrook -228 872,965 12/1907 Ostrander l05-228 1,999,651 4/1935 Campbell 105228 2,178,034 10/1939 Dorey 105228 2,804,024 8/1957 Boese l05228 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. A CENTER PLATE ASSEMBLY FOR A CUSHION UNDERFRAME RAILWAY CAR, CENTER PLATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BASE PLATE, A CENTER PLATE FIXED TO SAID BASE PLATE AND HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENING, AN OPEN ENDED TUBE MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTER PLATE IN CO-AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CIRCULAR OPENING, A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED REINFORCING MEMBERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY T-SECTION HAVE A VERTICAL LEG AND A HORIZONTAL LEG, AND SAID TERMINAL END OF SAID REINFORCING MEMBERS BEING FIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BASE PLATE ON OP- 